Hi, this is my first post. I have Major Depression, Anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
My drug regime:
Ambien 10mgs nightly for 6 months, before that I used it probably twice a week for the last 2 years.
Xanax when I need it, never before 5pm, never more that 2 tabs at once. Haven't had any in a couple of weeks.
Lexapro 20mgs nightly.
Does my current drug regime cause concern for anyone? I know I wouldn't cope without my Xanax at times, my anxiety can be debilitating, and I know for sure I can't sleep without Ambien. The Lexapro I've only been on for a week or so, before that I have tried 6 different AD's in 7 years, none of which were great. I have stock piled Xanax and Ambien because of a strong fear that my doctor will cut me off, so he actually thinks I take more than I do.
Jellybaby, it doesn't sound like you're addicted to the Xanax to me if you have not been using it daily. The ambian though, is another thing. I have not gone to sleep at night without some kind of sleep aide since 1990 when a wierdo broke into my house at night and I woke to him laying on my bedroom floor. It was a few months after my husband, 36 at the time almost died and had heart bypass surgery. Thinking back now, I'm certain I was also suffering post tramatic syndrome. My dr lectures my each time she writes a script for the ambien about it's addictiveness. My "some kind of sleep aide" consists of the ambien, clonazapam, lorazapam when I could get it, hydrocodone which I did become addicted to and have not had in a month, Soma a muscle relaxer, to over the counter sleep aides. It seems that the Xanax should be enough to put you to sleep, but then that taken daily would become an addiction. I can't say the ambien always worked for me. Alot of nights, if I got to sleep, I'd wake up at a rediculas hour like I did this morning. I'm out and have called into the pharmacy to see if dr will refill. It definately helps knock me out on most occasions. I have had a problem with insomnia since I was a kid. My father was in the Air Force and we moved constantly. I was in 10 differant schools by the time he retired and I started 6th grade. Funny thing is, I can fall asleep in the recliner watching tv,but if I go to bed for the night, I can't.
Alot of it may be in my head = dependancy on something to knockme out.
I have no advise to offer since I'm still dealing with my own demons, but do wish you the best of luck.Maybe someone else will post with a helpful reply.
JB
Hi, this is my first post. I have Major Depression, Anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
My drug regime:
Ambien 10mgs nightly for 6 months, before that I used it probably twice a week for the last 2 years.
Xanax when I need it, never before 5pm, never more that 2 tabs at once. Haven't had any in a couple of weeks.
Lexapro 20mgs nightly.
Does my current drug regime cause concern for anyone? I know I wouldn't cope without my Xanax at times, my anxiety can be debilitating, and I know for sure I can't sleep without Ambien. The Lexapro I've only been on for a week or so, before that I have tried 6 different AD's in 7 years, none of which were great. I have stock piled Xanax and Ambien because of a strong fear that my doctor will cut me off, so he actually thinks I take more than I do.
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Jellybaby.
Dear Jelly,
If you are able to take the meds as directed, that is one thing but you are not.
Please do not take it upon yourself to decide your own regimen.
In order for you to reap the full benefits of the meds, they should be taken as directed
Your feeling the need to store away meds for fear of being cutoff needs to be explored.
Are you being totally upfront with your prescribing physician?
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The "hiding" in and of itself presents an addictive quality but does not necessarily make you an addict.
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Now if taking the meds are causing different behaviors in you, that are causing your life to spiral out of focus, then this needs to be discussed with your physician.
I guess Ambien is my greatest concern, because I am at a stage where if I don't take one, I lay there awake till the sun comes up. I suffer from daily headaches and muscle pain, as well as vivid, horrific nightmares which I attribute to the Ambien, yet that is still a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the pleasure of being able to pop a pill and be out of it in an hour.
I've always been an insomniac, but I guess that the circumstances leading to my prescription drug taking, and the actual drug taking itself, has cemented the insomnia into me.
The Xanax I just like to have there, I have 5 bottles waiting for when I need them and I continue to go to my prescribing doctor and tell him I take more than I actually do, because I dread the day he tells me I should learn to manage without it. There have been times where I take it daily, and have to struggle to have a break, usually knocking myself out with an Ambien at around 6pm to avoid the anxiety.
Anyway, thanks again for your thoughts, I have no-one else to talk to about this.
I'm not sure if you are addicted to Ambien. I myself have never taken Ambien but my mother does for insomia. She told me that if she takes Ambien every night it doesn't work for her so she spaces it out even if she stays awake all night for 2 or 3 nights in a row so when she does take an Ambien, it does work.
If you legitimately need your xanax and ambien, your doc shouldn't cut you off.
the ambien only works for so long, then you have to take a break. tolerance builds quickly
Jellybaby, everyone's different but Ambien is SO addicting I hate that stuff and won't ever go near it again. Can you sleep with just xanax? The Ambien hangovers I had were devastating. I could barely function. Not so with xanax. Try gradually cutting back 1/2 on the Ambien and take the xanax with half the ambien dose at bedtime. See how many milligrams of xanax you'll need for it to work. Ambien scares me to death. Maybe in a month you can get completely off it.
Good luck to you.
Hi. I have not posted on the addiction boards yet. .I've mostly been on the back pain boards. I came here looking for support b/c i have major back surgery and will be on big time pain killers for a while and I have over 4 years sober.
Anyway, I came across your post. Personally, I would not see your situation as an addiction but a dependence. They are two different things. I take Lunesta nightly and before that have taken a few other sleeping aids. I have had a sleep study and have bad chronic insomnia. There's a fine line between addiction and dependence.
My only concern is that "normal" people generally don't question if they are an addict or have a problem. It may be something to talk to a professional about.
If you ever want to talk sleeping pills dependent, I'm always awake!
It's possibly one of the most depressing things! Knowing I can be absolutely exhausted but cannot sleep without taking Lunesta. It's possible I wouldn't be able to sleep either way. As long as I get a little sleep, who cares I guess? There are worse things to be dependent on.
Re: Am I an addict? 
